Dell AI Anywhere with Apex File Storage for Microsoft Azure

By Kshitij Tambe, principal product manager, file and object storage division, Dell Technologies, Inc.

In the world of transportation, race cars and semi-trucks seem like they belong to different universes. Yet, beneath their disparate exteriors lies a common thread: the pursuit of peak performance. Similarly, in cloud computing, the fusion of cutting-edge technology with diverse applications such as AI requires solutions that deliver both storage scalability and performance. And customers need the ability to access their data wherever it’s stored to drive the next innovation. In fact, 87% of companies are adopting a multicloud strategy today. ⁽¹⁾ We’re excited to continue helping customers on their multicloud journey with our Dell APEX File Storage for Public Cloud offering.

Enter Dell APEX File Storage for Microsoft Azure, an innovation that bridges the gap between cloud storage and AI-driven insights. At the heart of the product lies PowerScale OneFS – a proven, high-performance scale-out file storage solution trusted by over 16,000 customers WW. By bringing the power of PowerScale OneFS to the Azure cloud, the IT company enables customers to consolidate and manage data more effectively, reduce storage costs and enhance data protection and security – all while leveraging native cloud AI tools to arrive at insights faster. And APEX File Storage for Microsoft Azure delivers the most advanced file storage capabilities in Azure. ⁽²⁾

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“APEX File Storage in Azure provides the exact same experience as PowerScale OneFS on-premises. This streamlines our storage environment and makes our team more efficient. Dell has done a great job with this offer,” said a multinational telecom company

In a landscape where multicloud is a reality, APEX File Storage for Azure combines efficiency and versatility, empowering your business to harness the full potential of distributed cloud ecosystems for your AI workflows. Traditionally, AI implementation has been marked by siloed solutions and fragmented infrastructure. However, APEX File Storage for Azure offers a new path with integration of high-performance storage capabilities to deploy on Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure. Easily move data from on-premises to the cloud using advanced native replication without having to refactor your storage architecture. And once in the cloud, you can use all enterprise-grade PowerScale OneFS features. With scale-out architecture to support up to 18 nodes and 5.6PB in a single namespace, APEX File Storage for Azure offers scalability and flexibility without sacrificing ease of management. In fact, compared to Azure NetApp Files, APEX File Storage for Microsoft Azure enables: ⁽³⁾

• 6x greater cluster performance
• Up to 11x larger namespace
• Up to 23x more snapshots per volume
• 2x higher cluster resiliency
• Easier and more robust cluster expansion

What further sets APEX File Storage for Azure apart is its commitment to customer needs. With proactive support and a 97% customer satisfaction rate, ⁽⁴⁾ Dell Support Services provides trained experts around the clock and the globe to address your OneFS needs, minimize disruptions and help you maintain a high level of productivity and outcomes. Gone are the days of compromise between performance and utility – this solution delivers both, on your terms. Designed for hybrid cloud and cloud burst use cases whether it’s traditional IT workloads or cutting-edge GenAI applications, APEX File Storage for Azure has the highest performance at scale for AI, ⁽⁵⁾ propelling AI workloads to new heights of innovation and efficiency.

Key benefits of APEX File Storage for Azure are:

• • Simplicity with ‘multicloud by design.’ Accelerate multicloud deployment with a consistent user experience across on-premises and cloud environments. Take advantage of automated replication tools without having to make any changes to the underlying storage in the cloud.
  • Extreme flexibility. Manage changing workload demands and rapidly growing datasets with advanced OneFS data services and scalable capacity of up to 5.6PB.
  • Data control. Leverage native AI tools to power the most demanding workloads.

In a period dominated by the rapid evolution of digital technologies, the need for multicloud strategies has never been more apparent. Firm’s strategic collaboration with Microsoft represents a milestone in this journey, offering customers the freedom to store and process data in the most optimal location for their AI use cases. With APEX File Storage for Azure, Dell continues to uphold our commitment to empowering businesses to innovate faster and achieve transformative outcomes with AI.

To take the next step, reach out to your dedicated Dell or partner representative or join the company at Dell Technologies World to learn more about these offers and more.

⁽¹⁾ Flexera 2023 State of the Cloud Report, n=750
⁽²⁾ Based on Dell analysis of software capabilities, March 2024.
⁽³⁾ Based on Dell analysis, March 2024. Cluster performance comparing read throughput.
⁽⁴⁾ Based on an internal analysis from Dell, February 2024
⁽⁵⁾ Based on Dell analysis of maximum throughput performance and namespace capacity, March 2024